Regulator slows airline from establishing Tuzla flights
The Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA) is reportedly stalling the provision of necessary documentation to a foreign carrier for the launch of seventh freedom flights from Tuzla to several cities in Europe. “The interested airline submitted the necessary documentation for approval to the BHDCA over fifteen days ago, based on which it will request permits from countries it plans to fly to from Tuzla”, a source close to the Tuzla Canton government told the “Politicki.ba” portal. The source added, “There is no valid reason for the approval not to be issued, which has raised suspicions of an ulterior motive, since this document can be processed within a day or two”.
According to local media, the airline in question plans to operate up to ten destinations from Tuzla, which is looking for an alternative following the closure of Wizz Air’s base in the city last month. The interested carrier is widely tipped to be Air Montenegro, with Tuzla Airport previously noting the airline in question is from the region. However, reports suggest the carrier will officially announce its operations once all necessary permits have been obtained. Tuzla Airport previously said it expects for the unnamed airline to launch operations in time for the 2023/24 winter season, which begins on October 29. However, with ongoing bureaucratic issues, this may be pushed back.
Wizz Air closed its base at Tuzla Airport in mid-September, discontinuing most of its routes. The impact has already been felt, with the airport handling 28.118 passengers during the month, representing a decrease of 34.1% on last year and down 50.2% on the pre-pandemic 2019. Wizz Air is Tuzla Airport’s only scheduled carrier. During October, the budget airline has a total of 20.676 seats on sale on its Tuzla operations, down 58.7% on last year and a decrease of 65.2% on 2019. During the first three quarters of this year, Tuzla Airport welcomed 531.762 travellers, representing an improvement of 101% on last year and up 15.1% on 2019.
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